Summary

The northern Gulf of Mexico coastal region and its diverse ecosystems are threatened by population and development pressure
and by the impacts of rising sea level and severe storms such as the series of hurricanes that has impacted the northern Gulf
in recent years. In response to the complex management issues facing the region, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) organized
a multidisciplinary research program to coordinate the activities of USGS and other scientists working in the northern Gulf of
Mexico region. The Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM) Ecosystem Change and Hazard Susceptibility Project aims to
develop a thorough understanding of the dynamic coastal ecosystems on the northern Gulf coast, the impact of human activities on
these ecosystems, and the vulnerability of ecosystems and human communities to more frequent and more intense hurricanes in the
future. A special issue of Geo-Marine Letters published in December 2009 is devoted to early results of studies completed as part
of this project. These studies, which have been conducted at sites throughout the northern Gulf region, from the Chandeleur Islands
to Apalachicola Bay, have focused on three themes:
(1) the underlying geologic framework that exerts controls over coastal processes,
(2) the impact of human activities on nearshore water quality, and
(3) hurricanes and associated effects.

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